Live by the Mockup, Die by the Mockup

Every interface designer has enjoyed success and achieved buy-in when presenting visual representations of a product design. But these same mockups can often run amok when circulated through email and discussed without context. My Communication Design column this month looks at the polarity of the mockup and why it can be your best friend and worst enemy at the same time. You can read the full article at UXmatters:

“Mockup. The term itself brings to mind the duality inherent in this omnipresent design artifact. It’s both a direct representation of a product experience and a shallow portrayal of an interactive system at the same time. The mockup can either sell your design or plummet you into a cyclical tunnel of churn. That’s why, like it or not, interface designers often live and die by the mockup...”